Doom is synonymous with id Software, not just as a franchise, but as the first-person shooter that paved the way for many to follow. So, when the universe was revisited and revamped in 2004’s Doom 3, fans were ecstatic. Now, eight years later the complete package – previously only available on PC – (the original game itself was available on the original Xbox) has come to consoles in the aptly named Doom 3: BFG Edition. Can this title age with grace or is it better left on the shelf?

Doom 3 is the main attraction and tells the all too familiar Doom story of a marine arriving on a top secret Mars research facility as backup, only to find out that after testing has gone awry and released long dormant demons upon the facility. Its story may sound paper thin, and it is, but the atmosphere that takes place allows for your imagination to run wild. And surprisingly it holds up rather well given its age and even adds a few features that could cause debate amongst fans. Your flashlight, which was one of the key reasons why some felt the original was so scary, used to be a toss up between equipping a weapon or equipping a flashlight to see better. BFG Edition strips tactical layer away as it plays with a tweak of ‘duct-tape mod’ installed. This means that the flashlight is now positioned on your armour so it’s always accessible. Even with this, everything still feels suspenseful and heart pounding compared to other, more recent, ‘horror’ titles. This is also helped by the random spawning of enemies, meaning that you never really see where they are and where they could be coming from until it’s too late.

Doom 3: BFG adds the Resurrection of Evil expansion and the brand new ‘Lost Mission’ levels to sweeten the pot. These two are available, as well as other mods, on PC which makes the upgrade to the BFG Edition almost useless for PC players. However, if you’re playing on a console you’re going to enjoy much more of the same PDA snatching, monster-shooting mayhem. BFG Edition also brings some graphical enhancements with some great textures and facial animations. It’s not going to win any awards by any means, but it brings some graphical improvements and enhances the sound to 5.1 surround so you can hear all the footsteps and blood curdling sounds as you explore the base. There’s also the added feature of 3D for Doom 3 and its included expansions if you have the means to use it. While we didn’t have the means to test it out, it’s most likely a great feature that’ll give you even more nightmares.

The BFG Edition also includes the Doom 3 multiplayer mode that’ll give you a few hours of extra fun away from frightening yourself. As an added bonus you’ll also get Doom and Doom II that each have their own specific Achievements/Trophies – so you’ll have to be prepared to conquer both of those classics again on the hardest difficulty, even if they have aged rather abysmally.

Doom 3: BFG Edition offers a lot of bang for your buckshot. It takes something as well-known as Doom 3 and releases it for an entirely new audience, surely signifying id’s interest in revisiting the franchise. There’s no real reason for you to pick it up if you’re still holding onto your PC copy, as mods and such have been at your fingertips for years. However, if you’re a newcomer to the series or even one who hasn’t really experienced Doom 3, then you owe it to yourself to pick this up at the bargain price that it is.

Audio/Visual – 4/5: Audio is fantastic and the visual enhancements make Doom 3 look better than when it was first released – just don’t go in expecting Crysis 2.

Gameplay – 4/5: It may be simplified for consoles, but it’s still a great experience that’s stood the test of time.

Innovation – 4/5:It’s the same game that was released nearly ten years ago, but somehow it still holds up as being an edgy and suspenseful title.

Value – 5/5: You get all three Doom titles, Resurrection Of Evil expansion as well as the all-new Lost Mission expansion for $39.99. Check please.